A Greater Evil
by The Game
Summary: The war for control has begun. Voldemort draws first blood, but whose? Read (and review!) to find out. Plus, Voldemort finds a deadly second, the 'Greater Evil.' No, not a death eater, something far, far worse...Can a 17 year old Harry save the world?
1. A

A Greater Evil  
I  
  
July 30 was going to be a normal day in the summer life of Harry Potter. He was going to go to work at the bookstore, read the latest bestseller. Then he was supposed to go home and do yard work and cook dinner. After dinner, he would sometimes go to his room and send a letter to his best friend Ron Weasley or do his summer homework.  
  
After he turned sixteen the year before, the Dursleys had realized that Harry could be a remedy for their financial woes. Uncle Vernon told Harry that he would be forced to work, or be thrown out of the house. To further convince Harry to work, Vernon said that he would "only" be taking half of the paycheck. He, however, failed to realize that Dudley could also work.  
  
The reason for the financial problems was that Dudley had been eating them out after he finally convinced his parents to drop the diet that he had been following since he was 14 by saying that the school outfitters did stock knickerbockers big enough for him now because he was six feet tall but "only" three feet wide. When Dudley was on the diet, food didn't cost much money, but now dinner was steak and potatoes instead of orange slices and carrots. Making matters worse was that Grunnings, Vernon's drill-making employer, had been becoming less profitable and Vernon's salary suffered.  
  
Harry walked to the bookstore and took a book off of the rack. "The Fellowship of the Ring by JRR Tolkien," he read. "Being the first part of the Lord of the Rings," he continued. "I know this one! Hermione was raving about it in our second year," he thought. There was hardly any business in the bookstore that day. It could be considered normal, because "who comes to the bookstore on a Friday afternoon anyway?" Harry thought. At 5:00, Harry's boss gave him his paycheck and Harry left. He decided to cash it at the local bank.   
  
Harry was glad that Dumbledore again bent the rules for him, teaching him to apparate and allowing him to do magic during the summer holidays as extra precautions against Voldemort. This allowed him more freedom to do as he wished, mainly causing trouble. He would frequent the Weasley household, hexing anyone he could find. He also sent an angry howler to Percy, complaining of faulty international cooperation.  
  
Of course, the Weasleys knew that Harry was hexing them, as he had happily sent them a letter informing them of his new privileges and taunted them about it whenever he dropped in for a visit. After getting his laughs, he apparated into Diagon Alley and made his way towards Gringotts. He had 1/2 of his paycheck, plus 30 pounds, changed into gold Galleons, silver Sickles, and bronze Knuts, the currency of wizards. Uncle Vernon would never know that Harry had been taking extra money. He would just say that business had been slow and his employer was losing money.   
  
Harry then walked towards Flourish and Blotts. He picked up an advanced book of spells, a book of little-known hexes, and a book of Seeker tactics. As he approached the counter, he noticed another book. It seemed to be radiating a strange power, that Harry guessed only he could feel. He read the title, Secrets of the Hogwarts Four and Other Notable Wizards, and looked through it. He saw descriptions of spell books, secret tunnels, ancient arts, and other things that looked very interesting and useful. Not wanting to be caught looking through this particular book, he decided to pay for it and quickly leave the store.   
  
After paying for the books, Harry apparated backs to his room and laid it on the desk. He then went downstairs to cook dinner, but noticed that the Dursleys went to a fancy restaurant instead. How they could afford it was beyond Harry, the particular restaurant that they were visiting was one of the most expensive in the London area. Harry decided to sneak one of the steaks in the fridge and eat that. After his dinner, Harry went to his bedroom and began one of the four essays Snape had assigned.  
  
***  
  
Tap Tap Tap. "Go to bed Dudley," Harry said, half asleep. Tap tap tap. Tap tap tap. Crack. "Alright, alright I'm coming," mumbled Harry. He found his glasses, put them on, and looked around. His eyes focused on the window, where there were about eight owls hovering. Harry let them all in, and they all dropped birthday gifts on the floor. There was also a package bearing the Hogwarts seal.   
  
After unwrapping Weasley's Book of Hexes and Tricks and objects which Harry could only guess were stolen from Filch's drawer of confiscated things, a miniature Quidditch pitch with moving players from Hermione, more of Hagrid's home cooking (suitable for half-giants only), and a box of tricks from Sirius, which he liked to use in his school days, Harry turned to the largest package, the one with the Hogwarts seal. Inside it was the usual letter that Harry received from Hogwarts, a letter warning of his NEWT exams coming in June and suggesting that he begin to study right away, and a gigantic NEWT study guide. The Marauders' Map was also there with a familiar note bearing familiar elegant handwriting: "Just In Case."  
  
It was from Albus Dumbledore  
  
"Wow, these are all great," Harry thought. He looked over towards the clock. It read 3:30. "I'd better get back to bed." He then immediately fell into a deep sleep, dreaming of all the wonderful presents that he had received.  
  
***  
  
At 8:00 in the morning, Harry awoke to a loud banging on the door. "I know that there's someone here!" shouted a voice. "Their nephew lived with them, and he wasn't in that car. He's in here!"   
  
Harry looked out the window. Three Muggle policemen were at his door.   
  
  
"R+R (That means Read and Review), Thank You"  
2000-2002 The Game 


	2. We're going on a little ride, son

an: I forgot the disclaimer last time. No ownership of the Harry Potter characters is implied. If you recognize it, than it sadly ain't mine. This chapter's really really short. Meaning that another will come ASAP 

**_A Greater Evil_**

**II**

Harry ran down the stairs to the door. Upon opening it, he said, "What in the bloody hell is going on here? I was SLEEPING!"

"Well, young man, you'd better show us some respect, first of all." The officer paused, then said, "Uh, we came to remove you from this home, because, er, your aunt and uncle and cousin," he paused again… "Um, er, well they're dead. Killed in a car crash. We have to take you to St. Joseph's orphanage in London."

"WHAT?!" Harry screamed. "That is the last place that I want to go. I can go to my…my…best friend's house…I'm sure he'll take me in."

"Well, son, your friend's family needs to legally adopt you for that to happen. Let's go, we're already late."

Harry was then forced into the squad car, but not without a fight. When the policeman finally threatened to cuff him, Harry had had enough. The trip in the car was beneficial to Harry, he learned the true cause of his relatives' deaths while listening to the conversations between the policemen.

"Odd case, isn't it, William?"

"Yeah, it is, Jack. The bodies didn't look harmed, like they were already dead. But the car was totaled, crashed into a tree."

"Don't forget the looks of pure terror on their faces. Or the odd, greenish constellation in the sky. You know that skull thing."

At this point, Harry stopped listening. He had heard enough. He had guessed from the start that this was Voldemort's doing, and the conversation had confirmed it. 

***

The car finally pulled into the orphanage. For the half hour after he stopped listening to the conversation, Harry had nothing to do but think. And the most popular thought was of course: "Why the hell did Voldemort do this?" Harry was therefore very relieved to finally pull into the orphanage.

After he checked into the orphanage, Harry realized that he wasn't in such a bad place. As most of the occupants were small children, he found time to read his books and finish his homework. When he had nothing to do, Harry played the Play Station, watched TV, or used one of the computers. The food was better than anything that the Dursleys could provide. 

Harry could send daily owls, because Hedwig had found him. The first one that he sent was to Dumbledore, who promised to remove Harry's belongings from the 4 Privet Drive before it could be cleared out, and to find a way to remove him from the orphanage. Then he took out a subscription to the Daily Prophet. The only restriction on Harry's new life was that he couldn't apparate in and out, lest someone walked into his room and find him gone. He was not afraid of someone walking in on him while he was doing magic, because a memory charm was easy enough to perform.

One day, Harry started seriously reading his books, and not just skimming them. He was amazed by what he found…


	3. Harry's Books

**_A Greater Evil_**

**_III _**

**_By The Game. _**

****

**_The first two parts outline the contents of Harry's books. They are seperated by a line (hopefully). R+R please! I don't have a review yet! Let's change that._**

****

**_The Books of Advanced and Ancient Charms, Spells, and Hexes_**

**_By Alberic Grunnion, 1324_**

**_Translated and modernized by Albus Dumbledore_**

**Important excerpts from the text follow:**

****

**_"Each person has a unique amount of energy. Magical energy is used to cast spells. Use up all of your energy and you shall be unable to act normally. You will be quite open to attack…_**

****

**_"Different spells consume different amounts of energy. The spells are sorted into groups, with the first being least powerful and last being the most…_**

**"Group I**

**Healing**_: Heal the Target's wounds. Say 'Elrondor'_

**Confusion:** Confuses the Target. 'Somos Tonto'

**Flames: **Flames that may only be put out by magic water. 'Calor'

**Magic Water: **Put out Flames. Refreshing to drink. 'Mar'

**Wind: **Modify the speed, direction, or temperature of the wind. 'Viento'

**Armor: Create some armor to wear. 'Armador'**

**Freeze: **Surround the target with ice. 'Aguafria'****

**Dispel: **Everyone knows this spell, but it's so important that it's here anyway. Removes most spells. 'Finite Incantatem'

**Fog: **Send thick black smoke out of the wand. 'Bio'****

****

**Group II**

**Protector**: Summon a magical shield which blocks everything, save Slytherin's Dark Curses. 'Magus Patronum'

**Wall: **Bounces back curses. May break under heavy pressure. Not as strong as Protector. 'Rimbalzare'

**Sluggishness: **Slow Target's movements. Lasts for 2 hours or until dispelled with speed. 'Despacium'

**Apparation: **Warp to another place instantly. Easy to learn but hard to master and easy to mess up. Say 'Salio' while concentrating on target.****

**Flame Wind: **The wind speed and temperature increases, scorching the opponent. 'Ember Viento'

**Storm: **Create a thunderstorm. Torrential rain and winds. 'Maltiempo'

**Hail:** Massive hailstones pelt the opponent.

**Flame Wall: **Create a massive wall of flames

**Extreme Speed: **Target's movements become quicker. Last for two hours unless dispelled with Sluggishness. 'Prisus'

**Memory Charm: **Modifies a person's memory to as you want it. May destroy someone's memory. 'Oblivitate'

**Group III**

**Confundus Charm:** Force the target to believe what you say. 'Confundus'

**Patronus:** Ward off or kill Dark forces, such as dementors. 'Expecto Patronum'

**Eliminate senses: **Ceases target's hearing, vision, and smell. Easy to block, though. 'Extremo Vista'

**Bolt: **Fry the opponent with a lightning bolt from the heavens. They'll never know what hit 'em. 'Foudre'

**Sharp Ice: **Sharp pieces of ice flay towards the opponent. 'Fridagra'

**Flood: **Create a massive tidal wave from any water source. 'Agundara'****

**Flame Tornado:** Send swirling flames to engulf the opponent. 

**Mega Blast: **Create massive explosions. 'Combus Humos'

**Group IV**

**Force: **Control the movements of anything with mind power. Just concentrate on controlling the object. The most difficult and draining spell in these pages. Good luck mastering it. The Force will be with you. Always, er, hopefully…"

  


  


**_The Book of Secrets_******

**_by Harold Binns_**

****

"A note on the text

I am NOT the Hogwarts Professor Binns. Mention this book to him and he will be infuriated. He does not believe in this sort of thing, so I have a lot of opposition in the magical history community, as he is the "guru" of magical history. It is unfortunate that we share the same name.

**"The Hogwarts Four**

Salazar Slytherin

The Chamber of Secrets. Slytherin's most famous creation. Upon leaving Hogwarts, Slytherin created a chamber containing a fabled monster which was to eliminate the Muggle-born students when released by the heir. The heir was to share a gift of the Slytherin family. Opened in 1945 and 1992, the Chamber was finally sealed by Harry Potter. The heir was revealed to be Tom Marvolo Riddle, now known as He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named, and the monster was a basilisk.

Slytherin also had a secret living quarters and office in Hogwarts which he created to ensure his privacy. He is said to have left a small spell book filled with powerful spells in this room. His wand is also said to be in this room.

Slytherin was a master with knives and daggers. His custom knives are also located inside his living quarters. They are reportedly forged with the Dark Arts and only a truly Dark wizard could wield them correctly.

Godric Gryffindor

The Sword of Gryffindor. Said to be forged with pure light energy by the father of Merlin, this sword is encrusted with rubies in the hilt and is extremely long and heavy. It is made of the ancient red rock, Dreamstone, providing it with extra power. Its power is said to be unmatched. The only person who used one hand to wield it is Gryffindor himself.

Gryffindor also left his custom spell book in Hogwarts. However, it was not left in his living quarters. It was placed with Ravenclaw's and Hufflepuff's books in the secret library of the Headmaster. Gryffindor's spells are very difficult to use and only Gryffindor was brave enough to risk his life by using them. Although he was not an extremely powerful wizard, Gryffindor's innovative spells and powerful sword made him a very talented dueler.

Rowena Ravenclaw

Ravenclaw's crossbow. Ravenclaw was able to forge a custom crossbow that could fire arrows with greater accuracy and velocity than any other. Her arrows were forged with a sacred power that could easily slay and dark foe. It was forged with hair of hippogriff and the ancient metal, Mythril.

Ravenclaw left her spellbook with Gryffindor's. Her spells concentrated on focusing the mind. Her spells could also affect the mind of the opponent.

Helga Hufflepuff

Hufflepuff did not believe in weapons. She does not have a legendary offensive weapon. She carried a light Mythril rod with her at all times for self defense only. If someone attacked, she would use it. Hufflepuff preferred to stay behind the battle, healing her allies with her spells. Her spellbook was left with Gryffindor's.

**"Merlin**

The King Phoenix was said to belong to Merlin. Its powers are more than that of a normal phoenix. Its tears are stronger, its song more beautiful, its intelligence greater. It is said to entrust choice wizards with a bit of Merlin's power. The recipient is to "use Merlin's power for no evil." The King Phoenix currently resides with Albus Dumbledore, a recipient of Merlin's power. The people who have received this power have received what is commonly known as the 'Order of the Phoenix.'

Merlin also left some forbidden spells, which no one knows the whereabouts of. They are somewhere in England, most likely. He has locked the spells in a magic chest, which could only be opened when the "bringer of death" appears. Since the chest is not opened, the bringer of death has not yet appeared.

Merlin's staff is said to make the healing powers of the bearer significantly greater. However, he lost it and it was never found. It is rumored to be in Hogwarts or its grounds."

  


  


"Damn," thought Harry. "What a find! I can wait to show Ron and Hermione."

***

Meanwhile, in a remote location…

_"I have found a Time-Turner, My Lord. It is in the hands of a student of Hogwarts, seventh year, though it is inactive. Potter is at the orphanage, just like you planned," reported a death eater._

_A high, cold voice replied: "Excellent. I shall have what I need to finally destroy Harry Potter. When the Evil returns, no one will be able to stop me. Now, let us discuss the details of my plan…" _

***

Harry awoke with a start. His face was in his book. "What were they talking about? Oh yes, only trying to kill me again," Harry thought. "Can't they find a new target?"

The details started to sink in, though. Harry finally realized Voldemort's motive, thinking back to something that he vaguely remembered Voledmort say, in that graveyard: "He is safe as long as he is in his relations' care. Not even I can touch him there…"

"Voldemort is going to come after me, when I'm here…"

Harry then fell asleep again, feeling great despair, sinking back into the state of mind that he was in after Cedric's death, that is introverted and brooding…

***

Albus dumbledore, meanwhile, was just receiving news of Harry, and began to think of a plan. He had to get Harry out of the orphanage and back into some kind of protected environment. But how?

A plan began to form in his head, a sudden realization. He made a connection, one that only he could make…for only he knew all of the facts. He needed to research a bit, but he was sure, he would be able to bring Harry Poter to the Weasley household by the end of the day…

How is Dumbledore going to get Harry out of the orphanage? Why does Voldemort need a Time-Turner? We'll all find out soon enough…

The Weasleys and Hermione will show up in the next part. Harry's had a long summer so he deserves to see them!

R+R please!


	4. Saved!

This one took awhile, longer than I had hoped. But it is long, by my standards. And the next one is all planned out and ready to be written. It's coming real soon, maybe tomorrow, even. I promise. But who knows what is coming after that?

****

**_A Greater Evil_**

**_IV_**

****

     Albus Dumbledore threw on some robes and walked to his office. It was late at night, and Albus, not being fully awake after receiving the news a moment ago, staggered around the room trying to find parchment, it was essential to his plan. 

     "Harry would laugh at this," he thought. "Alright, let's begin."

     Albus focused all of his energy on making the desired information appear on the parchment. He started chanting without warning. After a long, tiring process, a family tree appeared on the paper; _Harry's family tree. On it, Albus saw all of Harry's relatives, including, as he looked over to the far side of the paper, __Molly Weasley! Albus smiled as he saw this, a smile that had seldom been seen since the rise of Voldemort. For Harry could, in fact, live with the Weasleys and have the same brand of protection he enjoyed, or rather, __didn't enjoy, with the Dursleys._

     Albus knew that Molly's second cousin was a squib, who she didn't speak to at all. This was because the second cousin in question absolutely envied those who could do magic, having grown up in the wizard world. As all of her friends received Hogwarts letters, she was left disappointed. As the years went on, her contempt and jealousy grew and she was exceedingly cold to those that she had once called "friend." At her Muggle school, she met a boy and ran off with him, leaving no note. Her parents knew that this was coming, and disregarded it.

     The woman became an accountant to supplement her husband's income. This woman was Petunia Evans. The man was Vernon Dursley. Lily Potter, Harry's mother, was Petunia's sister, meaning that Harry was Molly's second cousin's son. 

     Being that Lily was so distantly related to Molly, it was likely that Harry and Ron Weasley would never know that they were somehow related. Molly most likely forgot about her relationship with Lily.

     However, this relationship was close enough to be manipulated to give Harry the protection he had when the Dursleys were alive. Albus knew that this must happen at once, for Voldemort could attack Harry freely from the orphanage. However, Albus was comfortable that Harry could survive the night. Phase one of his plan complete, Albus began stage two: contacting the Grangers.

***

_That morning…_

     Adam Granger looked through the paper. "Mysterious Deaths Puzzle Police," he read. Reading the article, he was thoroughly shocked. The article, of course, outlined the Dursley's deaths, at the hand of Voldemort. It gave all of the information that the police knew, which was basically what Harry had heard the day before. Adam was mostly concerned that the medical community, of which he (a dentist) was a proud member, had failed to find a cause of death.

     He was reporting his findings to his wife, Meredith, when his daughter Hermione ran into the room. 

     "Dursleys, did you say?"

     "Yes," came the reply.

     "Oh, this is bad. Harry lived with those people."

     "You mean your friend, Harry Potter?"

     "Yes, Harry Potter. And his guardians," Hermione paused, "were murdered. We must visit him. He would have been placed in St. Joseph's orphanage in London, where I used to volunteer."

     Just then, an owl flew into the room through window. It was carrying the letter that Albus Dumbledore wrote, explaining what must be done:

I am Albus Dumbledore, your daughter's headmaster at the Hogwarts school. Her friend, Harry Potter, is currently in St. Joseph's orphanage in London. Harry _must be returned to the Weasleys, a prominent wizarding family, for protection. It is up to you to get him from the orphanage, because you are his only friend with Muggle a job. What you are to do is say that you are Arthur Weasley; the Muggle government, not knowing who Arthur Weasley is, will ignore such fallacies. You should adopt Harry under this name. When you return with Harry, Arthur will be there to pick him up._

_Albus Dumbledore_

     Within five minutes, Adam was in the family car, a  with Hermione, on the way to the orphanage. Meredith had stayed behind, waiting to greet Arthur. The ride was silent; Hermione was nervous that something might happen. After 20 minutes in traffic, they finally pulled into the orphanage. Upon asking to adopt Harry, Adam was presented with an inch-thick book of paperwork to fill out. 

     _This is going to take awhile, thought Hermione. She asked to visit Harry to pass the time. She found that he was sleeping, and she did not want to wake him up. When Hermione returned, she found that Adam was already finished with the paperwork. Trying to figure out how he had finished so quickly, Hermione realized that her strong desire to get Harry out of the orphanage magically caused her father to speed up._

     The receptionist remarked on how odd it was to finish the paperwork with such speed, but went to wake up Harry without incident. When Harry was told that he was adopted by a man called Arthur Weasley he nearly fell out of bed. He had to restrain himself from jumping with joy; however his face fell when he saw Hermione in the waiting room, but not Ron. Sure, Harry was glad that Hermione was there, but living with her would not be remotely the same as living with Ron. He knew that he would be memorizing the textbooks over the summer, rather than playing Quidditch (if he was really going to live with her, that is). Hermione didn't share many interests with Harry, quite frankly, aside from learning spells.

     Harry was still glad to be leaving the orphanage and going to a place where magic was known of; he didn't spend much time packing or conversing in the waiting room, instead running to the car. He could freely converse with Hermione there.

     In the car, Harry was told of the plan, his spirits rising when he heard that he really was going to live with Ron, and also of the events since the end of the sixth year _(Harry is a seventh year now, remember?). The aforementioned events were not important and uninteresting to Harry. He was quite relieved to reach Hermione's house, she would not shut up._

     Harry got out of the car, and the first sight that he saw was Arthur Weasley shaking hands with a woman who he assumed was Hermione's mother. As he saw Harry, Arthur said, in a serious tone, "We must be swift. We will disapparate now," and with a pop, Harry found himself at the Burrow. Well, most of himself. He was splinched, though not seriously. He was missing his hands and feet. The entire Weasley family and Albus Dumbledore came out of the house to greet Harry; upon seeing the results of the botched Apparation, they got a good laugh. Arthur himself thought that it was funny , and left Harry to suffer for twenty full minutes before fixing the mistake.

     Still chuckling, Ron greeted Harry. Albus quickly put an end to the conversation though, because grave matters were at hand. He first began chanting an ancient spell. After ten minutes of nonstop chanting, he announced that Harry was protected under the Weasleys' care, since they were related to Harry, after all. He then did the spell in reverse, so the Weasleys couldn't be harmed in the presence of Harry. They were then instructed to move as a pack so none of them could ever be harmed, at least over the summer.

     Albus then sat down, exhausted by the spells that he had performed, and explained that Hermione could not spend the summer at the Burrow, that she, and everyone else, for that matter, was safer away from Harry Potter, rather than with him, for he was Voldemort's target. He then said that he would stay the night, wanting to know the full events of the summer, but only after a good night's rest. They then ate a dinner of roast turkey. Harry felt that it was infinitely better than the food that the orphanage could provide, and he was right.

***

     Late that night, Harry and Ron were still talking of the events of the summer. Harry remembered something that he forgot to bring up earlier: There was a part of the car ride that unnerved him a bit. He could have sworn he experienced a pain in his scar, as if it were about ready to explode, though it passed quickly. Hermione also said that she saw a man in a black cloak apparate as Harry was leaving. The radio in the car stopped working at that point, as if there was a lot of magic in the air. However, the abnormalities passed as abruptly as they came. After explaining this, Harry felt a sudden wave of tiredness fall over him; he was out like a light.

***

_At the Grangers:     _

     An hour after Mr. Weasley fixed the splinching, the same black-cloaked man appeared at the house. Although his face was masked, there was an immense, unmistakable aura of power coming from the man. It was not that of a real human. It was half-human, half something else. It was Lord Voldemort's. He had come seeking Harry.

     "I do not sense Potter around here anywhere. That fool must have found the last source of protection, but they too will die tomorrow…"

     And he disapparated, leaving no trace that he was ever there.

The chapters will get longer after this. Just wait for the duel scenes. Hard work will go into them, they should be good. And I don't expect many more cliffhangers, I think. But you never know.

2000-02, The Game

R+R please


	5. The Day Before

**_A Greater Evil_**

**_V_**

     Harry awoke with a start. It was 9:36 AM, and he was alone in Ron's room. The events of the previous day had escaped him. It all went so fast. He remembered Hermione coming to get him from the orphanage, and coming to Ron's immediately after. That was it. He suddenly noticed a dull pain in his head, but thought nothing of it. _It doesn't mean anything, it's just a headache, a symptom of my tiredness, he thought. How wrong he was._

     Dumbledore and the entire Weasley family were waiting for Harry. Even Percy, Bill, and Charlie were present. As he came down the stairs, Harry heard the sizzling of bacon, and saw everyone in the room below him. Arthur wanted to discuss the events of the summer right there, but Dumbledore said that they would wait until dinner. He instructed Harry to go do something fun for the day with his friends. Dumbledore knew that it would be the last fun day that Harry would have for a while. Harry knew it, too.

     Following Dumbledore's instructions, Harry and co. went to the makeshift Quidditch pitch in the back of the house. Because he could perform magic, Harry made the pitch and its inhabitants invisible to the Muggle eye, not knowing that his growing magical power would drive most Muggles away. Then he conjured real Quidditch balls with Charlie's help and they made teams. Even Arthur and Dumbledore joined the game. Each team had two chasers, a seeker, a beater, and a keeper. Because there was only one beater per side, there was only one bludger. One one team was Dumbledore(Chaser), Ron(Chaser), Harry(Seeker), Fred(Beater), and Percy(Keeper). The other side was Ginny, Bill, Charlie, Fred, and Arthur. They played for many hours, and the teams were evenly matched. Dumbledore was quite skilled for an old man, as was Ginny, who had never played before. Harry even surpassed Charlie, a Gryffindor legend as seeker, sometimes. He had Charlie fooled on a Wronski Feint, which he had mastered the previous year, but saved him from harm with a well-timed Freezing Charm. The group got a good laugh from the sight of Charlie about to crash. Later, Molly, who was watching, announced that it was getting late. Harry immediately caught the Snitch for the final time that day. His team had won five games to the opposition's four.

     Exhausted, the group made their way back to the house to eat dinner. A few minutes later, the table was set and the magically-prepared food was served. Harry loaded his plate with pork chops, and ate the greatest meal of his life. He was grateful to be in such a positive environment. However, the mood suddenly changed and the discussion of the summer's events began.

     "We must know what has happened this summer, Harry," began Dumbledore. "It is important that we know what Voldemort is trying to do."

     "Well, first of all, he killed my aunt and uncle. I was in Diagon Alley that day, and I came back late. I think they were supposed to be at a fancy resturant. All I know is that the Muggle policemen came after me that day. They were conversing in the car, and they basically told me that the Dark Mark was in the sky and they were killed by Avada Kedavra, even though their car was totaled." Harry took a breath. "It was supposed to look like a car crash to the Muggles.

     "Voldemort wanted me in the orphanage so that he could get me. He knew that I could not be harmed while I lived with the Dursleys. While I was there, I practiced new spells so he couldn't get beat me so easily. I found them in a book that I bought in Diagon Alley." Again, he paused. "I think that Voldemort attacked the orphanage after I left. I felt a sensation in my head and Hermione saw him. The car stopped functioning properly. We were able to get away just in time."

     "The orphanage was indeed attacked. Voldemort was angry when he found that you were not there," explained Dumbledore. "There are other things to discuss. How are things going at the Ministry, Arthur?"

     "Some people believe me, but we are a small minority. Fudge does not know. I have been losing support since You-Know-Who has been quiet for the past two years. I think that he is plotting something big," came the reply.

     "I agree. We are not safe. There are other things, though. Nicolas Flamel has reported to me that he does not feel right, as if something was going to happen. I am bothered by this. Who would dare attack the immortal? Only Voledmort, for he believes himself to be immortal. Voldemort must want the Elixr of Life, though I do not see why he would need it. I need to find out what he is doing," explained Dumbledore. "Also, I have not been able to reach Daedalus Diggle for a while. I fear that he has been abducted. He was one of my most trusted supporters. He knows so much of my doings that he is a liability in the wrong hands. I do not know if he can withstand torture very well. However, we all need our rest. We will go to bed. I will remain another night; I don't have anything else importanat to do other than keep an eye on Harry."

     And they all went to their rooms. Harry was overcome by tiredness. He had done his best to suppress the paranoia that was growing within him, along with his headache. He didn't feel right about the situation. Still, he was able to sink into a deep, dreamless sleep.

***

Somewhere out there, Lord Voldemort cracked an evil smirk, and disappeared into the night.


End file.
